The Paper:

With the rapid development of the internet, we've noted that telecom and cyber fraud has become more rampant, and the general crime situation is still grave and shows new changes and characteristics. My question is, what measures have public security organs taken in anti-fraud, especially in cracking down on telecom and cyber fraud this year, and what achievements have been made? Thank you.

Wang Zhizhong:

It's a good question. Let me respond. Indeed, the current situation of telecom and cyber fraud remains challenging. The Party committee of the MPS has placed emphasis on curbing, implemented the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and organized public security organs to grasp the new characteristics and patterns of telecom and cyber fraud. We've undertaken specific research, formed special teams, tackled specific cases, and leveraged technologies. We have strengthened internal synergy and fostered external synergy to strengthen crackdown, prevention, and control measures and taken management work to new heights. Since August this year, the number of telecom and cyber fraud cases and the property losses caused by fraud have dropped by 24% and 20.5%, respectively, year on year.  

First, we've stuck to cracking down on the fraud. Following the unified deployment of the MPS, public security organs across China have strengthened the crackdown and launched a number of special campaigns, including those to hunt fugitives via cloud services and platforms, freeze the SIM cards and bank accounts used by suspects, intercept domestic recruitment by criminal groups operating from abroad, and pursue the heads and key members of criminal groups. By the end of September this year, we had arrested a total of 387 heads and key members of telecom and online fraud groups, hitting hard at the egregious deeds of fraudsters, jointly handled a batch of major cases with the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and exposed a series of typical cases, forming a powerful deterrence. We organized regional combats, specific case strikes, and clustered combats domestically, enhanced cooperation with all departments to beat the criminal deeds related to the promotion of criminal groups, money laundering, and technological development, cut off key chains of crimes and deterred the rampant situation of telecom and online fraud crimes.

Second, we have enhanced preventive and protective measures. Efforts on crime prevention should be initiated at earlier stages by various measures to guard against being deceived to the greatest extent. We have guided public security organs to establish graded and classified early warning and dissuasion mechanisms and promoted the implementation of the "Xiamen experience" across the nation. Since the beginning of this year, we have sent 310 million alarm instructions to localities, and local public security organs have sent 130 million alarm messages to mobile phone users. Together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, we've established an auto-system that can send dissuasion messages after the user receives suspected fraud calls, with a total of 640 million reminder messages already sent. Through cooperation with the Cyberspace Administration of China, we've set up and promoted an app entitled National Anti-fraud Center, with 15.785 million warning instructions already sent.

Third, we have held anti-fraud publicity campaigns. Together with the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, we launched a month-long anti-fraud publicity campaign themed "Never Neglect Precaution and Dissuasion Words and Pay High Attention to Property Safety." During the event, the National Anti-fraud Center released the 2023 edition of the telecom and cyber fraud precaution brochure. We also united with relevant departments to supervise financial institutions, teleservice operators, internet service providers to carry out anti-fraud campaigns targeting employees and clients, jointly hold a national senior citizen anti-fraud knowledge competition with the China National Committee on Ageing, launched anti-fraud publicity campaigns in schools in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and screened anti-fraud films in rural areas and primary and middle schools through cooperation with the China Film Group Corporation so as to enhance public participation.

That's all. Thank you.

CCTV:

Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a symposium on further promoting the high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, stressing that the "10-year fishing ban" on the Yangtze River should firmly be implemented, and the achievements already made be consolidated. What specific measures will be adopted by public security organs to consolidate the gains made in cracking down on illegal fishing in the Yangtze River basin? Thank you.

Qiu Baoli:

Let me answer this question. The MPS will fully implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the symposium on further promoting the high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, stay true to the Party's founding mission, boldly take on responsibilities, and concentrate on the central task of economic development, serving the overall interests of the country. We will give full play to the functions and advantages of public security organs, and keep up the pressure against illegal fishing in the Yangtze River so as to effectively protect aquatic biosecurity in the Yangtze River, strive for a peaceful Yangtze River and safeguard the high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt.

Firstly, the work will be advanced on a regular basis. During the 10-year fishing ban period, the MPS will organize a special campaign called "Peaceful Yangtze River," focusing on combating illegal fishing and criminal activities in the Yangtze River annually, continue to take stronger combat, prevention, management, control, and construction measures, and firmly prevent illegal fishing activities from re-emerging once dealt with. At the same time, the MPS will keep the regular operation of its special work group for well-coordinated protection of the Yangtze River and ensure that its mechanism, standards, and efforts will be maintained.

Secondly, long-term mechanisms will be consolidated. We will improve the police cooperation mechanism in the Yangtze River basin, actively advance the application of information and smart technologies of the water policing in the Yangtze River basin, and strengthen the dispatch, grasp, comprehensive analysis, and unified command when cracking down on prominent illegal and criminal activities. We will continue to advance law enforcement cooperation mechanisms with departments of agriculture and rural affairs and others and improve information sharing and resource integration so as to foster stronger synergies effectively.

Third, coordinated governance will be advanced. In response to the loopholes in regulation over the sector found in work, we will advance relevant departments to strengthen comprehensive regulations and continue to ramp up regulatory measures at the source to combat the illegal production and sale of fishing nets and gear and the illegal trade of fishing catches. At the same time, we will work with the departments of agriculture and rural affairs to introduce documents to standardize law enforcement and guide localities in a scientific manner to give equal emphasis to education and punishment, ensuring that law enforcement is effective. Thank you!